Parker lands owner claims city defied court order to consider development plan

The owner of the Parker lands claims the City of Winnipeg is in contempt of a court order to consider a plan to develop the Fort Garry neighbourhood.

A Feb. 15 hearing has been slated for a contempt-of-court claim brought against the city by Andrew Marquess, his lawyer Dave Hill said Monday.

In October, a court ordered the city to hold a public hearing about to proposal to develop 47 acres of Parker land for the purposes of building thousands of new residential units.

Council’s city centre community committee rejected the plan on Nov. 13.

Hill said in a claim filed in December, Marquess alleged the city acted in contempt of that court order by requiring a bylaw to be passed instead of just approving a development plan as council policy.

The plan to develop the area came before property committee on Monday, but councillors voted to postpone any decision because of the legal implications.